RE: Passat 3C Replacement Battery

[DasPassat]

I've always used Optima in my cars (been through 5 over the years) but the last time I visited my battery place the guy there (who has a fantastic knowledge of all things battery) said that since the production of Optima went to Mexico they are not as good as they used to be (used to last around 8 years). He said that I should get a Deka Intimidator next time - same price as Optima, also AGM, but he says it is a better battery.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[Diesel_vert]

I've always used Optima in my cars (been through 5 over the years) but the last time I visited my battery place the guy there (who has a fantastic knowledge of all things battery) said that since the production of Optima went to Mexico they are not as good as they used to be (used to last around 8 years). He said that I should get a Deka Intimidator next time - same price as Optima, also AGM, but he says it is a better battery.

If I were in the market for a new battery, I too would consider the Intimidator 9A48 or Federal 9AGM48 (both appear to be made by the same company). They're rated at 70 Ah and 760 A (EN/SAE).

[sylvester]

My 08 125kW TDI went to the dealer for the injector replacement yesterday. Found other faults: cam angle sensor and starter motor are to be replaced (ouch... but fortunately covered by extended warranty) so it won't be ready until tomorrow mid-day. They said the battery is weak and quoted me of $360 to replace the battery. Here people are quoting $160-230 for the battery. Hm... no thank you.

If I do it myself (did that before for older cars), are there anything to watch out for? Will swapping the battery cause any issues in the electronics settings? Do we need to do any resetting after the new battery is in place? (Besides the clock of course ) Someone suggests having a recharger or old battery to maintain the voltage supply while swapping the battery. Is it really necessary? What's the implication if we don't do that?

[OilBurna]

Just replaced battery after 7 years 2 months. Went with a Varta E44 Silver $259 from every battery in Heidelberg has 3 yr warranty. 780 cca should be enough.

[brad]

If I do it myself (did that before for older cars), are there anything to watch out for? Will swapping the battery cause any issues in the electronics settings? Do we need to do any resetting after the new battery is in place? (Besides the clock of course ) Someone suggests having a recharger or old battery to maintain the voltage supply while swapping the battery. Is it really necessary? What's the implication if we don't do that?

Just buy from a battery place. They'll fit it free of charge & put an auxillary power supply on the vehicle.

get a Varta or Bosch in the silver case. 780CCA. Will cost you a maximum of $250.

[revivor]

Hi all,

I was wiring up my dash cam battery protection cct and I found out now that my battery's +12V is at 12.3V with no ignition at the fuse terminals.
Is that a sign of a degrading battery? I've had mine car since new (~4yrs now).
I have no issues whatsoever with battery related symptoms but wondering if it is close to its life. Thanks.